A Change of Plans
by 99luftballonsx.o.x
Summary: Liz's dream was always to become a designer. She'd been planning it for forever, and was about to move forward...until a meteor crashed into her backyard. This might call for a change of plans. (Mirage/Oc pairing.)
1. Meteors

**Hey guys! I'm back with another story because this idea wouldn't leave me alone until it was written. I've had bursts of inspiration for the most random things this past week, like an Mirage/OC story. There's not a lot of them out there. From what I've seen, most of the fandom romances currently revolve around Bumblebee or Sunny/Sides (guilty :P) so I guess I wanted to try something new.**

 **This will take place right after the 2nd movie.**

 ***Takes deep breath* Okay, here you go.**

Chapter 1: Meteors

"That'll be thirty-nine thirty," The woman behind the cash register muttered, ringing up the last item. She had long hair that was dyed multiple colors, heavy dark eyeshadow, black lipstick, and two slim silver rings through her left eyebrow.

I forced a smile, digging through my back pocket to find my credit card. When the space was empty, my eyes widened. _Crap._ Sighing, I switched to my wallet, and grabbed a wad of cash out. The Gothic Cashier Lady snatched the cash out of my hand, and I smiled wryly as she handed me the receipt, and muttered "Have a good day," without even looking up at me before shouting;

 _"Next!"_

"The service just gets better and better every time I get groceries." I muttered, dropping my bags into the passenger seat, before starting the engine of my 1980 Ferrari 308 GTB. Most people gave me strange looks when I mentioned I drove a Ferrari, and then they give me stranger looks when they ask me to show them. It was pretty old, but still valuable because it was a Ferrari. The only reason I could get it was because my brother worked as a mechanic in an auto-shop downtown.

And the only reason I really needed the car was because I was moving. Last week, I was emailed an acceptance letter to the New York School of Interior Design, which was my dream to always go there. I was so excited and I pretty much screamed and flailed my arms around the kitchen for twenty minutes. But since I lived with my brother, I just drove his car to where I needed to go, until of course last week.

I drove down the long, winding road that seemed to go on for hours. Living out in the rural parts of Missouri was great if you liked having 2 acres of land for yards, and colonial houses, with neighbors living a good fifteen minute walk away. But I guess I didn't mind it as much since we lived here since we were kids. I pulled up into the long driveway, to a large white house mostly made out of wood. The paint was a faded off-white because of all the weather, and my brother and I usually re-painted it over the summer. _Guess we might have to do it a little earlier._

I noticed that his blue Shelby Mustang wasn't parked at the top, and sighed loudly.

"Now I'll have to carry all this in by myself." I muttered dejectedly, before shutting off the smooth engine. I smiled, and patted the steering wheel of the car. It was a pretty nice car.

Once I finished lugging all of the groceries in, I decided to make myself a peanut-butter sandwich and hopped on the couch. My hands fumbled around for the remote, and as I turned my TV on, I couldn't help but notice the red flash of letters scrolling across the bottom of the screen.

 _Warning: Small meteors approaching. All citizens who reside in the midwest are encouraged to remain indoors._

"Well that's not good." I took another bite of my peanut butter sandwich. I only hoped that since my brother was still out, he'd been working hard on a car and not driving around with his goofy friends.

Suddenly, a loud noise shattered the peaceful silence, creating an earth-wracking shake that felt like an earthquake. The whole house shook, and some pictures that were on the top of the shelves fell off and smashed on the ground. I was thrown off my couch, and landed on the floor with a harsh _thump. Ouch._ My head throbbed painfully, and I rubbed it was I sat up and looked around frantically. The lights had flickered before turning off, and I was in the dark. The power was out.

 _What the hell was that?!_

It sounded like someone had just dropped a _huge_ boulder right next to my house! The trembling earthquake had left as fast as it came, and as I walked around the house, I surveyed the damage. Pots and pans that were normally hung up where sprawled on the kitchen floor, and some of the cabinet doors were hanging open. I went upstairs to check on my room, which was still mostly intact.

I went to grab my cellphone when I noticed something odd floating up from the window.

It was _smoke_.

I raised an eyebrow. That was strange, because the generators were on the side of the house, and my window was facing the back. What could be smoking back there? I pulled on some combat boots, and grabbed a mini-flashlight before going back downstairs to investigate. I rolled open the back door, and walked down the steps of our long, wooden porch. I looked around for a moment, and then froze as my eyes widened.

Out in the distance, a meteor had landed...in my backyard!

The meteor was _huge!_ It left a trail of blackened grass in it's wake, and was billowing up thick black smoke. I jogged through the tall grass that reached up to my knees, trying to get a closer look at the rock. I had to stop myself at the last minute, nearly tripping forward as I realized the ten-foot drop between me and the meteor from the huge crater it created. But my flashlight wasn't so lucky, and it slipped out of my hands and fell into the darkness.

I cursed loudly, before slowly staring up at the large rock. The more I looked at it, the less it looked like a rock. It actually looked metallic, with strange curly symbols written all over it. The whole thing seemed to glow a faint blue, and I wondered for a moment, if it was something more than just a rock. The smoke was still there, but it had faded a little bit, and I just stood there in awe of the thing. _I can't believe a meteor just landed in my backyard._

"I have to tell Zach," I said, shuffling through my pockets for my phone. But I couldn't find it, and I grumbled as I realized I must've left it inside the house.

I turned around, getting ready to sprint back to the house to get it when I heard a loud tearing sound, as if something was trying to break through. The sound was coming from behind me, and slowly, I turned around to face a giant, and when I mean giant I mean _enormous,_ mechanical being. It was taller than my house! The robot-looking being had dark, shiny armor that blended in with the night sky. The only thing that stood out was its bright, red eyes. It looked around for a moment, before throwing its head back and letting out a deafening roar.

I couldn't help it. I screamed, my heart felt like it was jump started, and I turned around and ran again. _Okay, definitely not a normal meteor!_ I nearly tripped over myself twice as I pushed past the grass and climbed up the porch steps. The ground shook as the robot approached, still snarling and roaring, but from time to time it kept making weird whirrs and clicking noises.

I shrieked again, and threw the back door open before racing inside the house. _I had to get out of here!_ I raced into the kitchen, grabbing my purse and the keys to my car which had dropped on the ground sometime during the massive earthquake. I yanked open the front door, and nearly leaped off the steps as I unlocked the car and slid into the the driver's seat.

I could hear the footsteps getting louder, and the snarling coming closer.

"Come on...Come on!" I mumbled, trying to start up the engine, but it wouldn't work. "No, no no no! Now is totally _not_ the time for you to be an old car and die on me!"

I tried cranking the engine again, but it still didn't work.

I sighed, frustration and panic building up inside me, as I banged on the dashboard...even though I was pretty sure that wasn't going to work. If only Zach was here right now, so he could just hot wire the thing and I could get the hell out of here. The robot was close, and I cloud see it over the roof as it's glowing scarlet gaze darted to the car.

 _I'm so dead._

 _"Get out."_ A random voice said out of nowhere.

I jumped, startled, "Who just said that?"

Maybe I was being hysterical because a giant robot was about to kill me. Because there is _no one_ else in the car, or around for a good few miles.

 _"I said get out, femme!"_ That time, I shrieked. And looked at the dashboard, where the radio was.

Did the car just _talk_ to me?

"No," I shook my head, grabbing my hair, "No, this is not happening. This is all a bad dream. I probably fell asleep on the couch, and I'm dreaming right now."

 _"Do you want to live?"_ The radio asked, and I could pick up on a thick Italian accent.

"What?" I blinked, and then nodded, "Yes, I want to live!"

 _"Then please get out of the car."_ The accented voice replied.

Okay, I'm going crazy. But the robot had roared again, and suddenly there was a large cannon in it's hand. I unbuckled myself and got out of the car, just in time too before the blast went off. I skidded to the side, and before my eyes, my little old Ferrari grew into a large, robotic being. He had red armor, with striking blue eyes that glowed so brightly I was sure I could see them from my backyard. He was significantly shorter than the dark robot, but that didn't seem to matter as he swiftly dodged the blast. Two blades came from the side of his arms, and he crossed them for a second before attacking the robot back.

I just stood there, to in shock to do anything else but watch the robots red one was much faster and quicker than the other one, even if he was only fighting with blades while the other one had a huge cannon. He managed to dodge another blast, but instead of it hitting him, it hit my house. I gasped the part I knew where the kitchen was went up in flames, and I squeaked as I moved out of the way before they could trample me as they crossed over to the driveway again.

"HELP!" I screamed, running down the driveway, but my voice was probably drowned out over all the noise from the fight.

I ran faster than I ever thought possible, my heart was racing by the time I made it to my mailbox. There was another earth wracking explosion, and I landed on my back as I stared up into the sky. My ears were ringing for a moment, before the ringing died down and the only thing left was silence. The battle must be over, but I wasn't sure of who won.

The sound of an engine rumbling to life startled and I looked back at the driveway as a car made its way down slowly. It stopped just a few inches away from me, and I realized it was my old Ferrari.

I blinked for a moment. "W-What just happened?"

 _"I believe it is time I introduced myself,"_ The car rumbled in that thick Italian accent. I jumped, and staggered backwards as the car split itself before transforming up into a robot. It's blue eyes shined brightly as it leaned down to see me better, "My name is Mirage."

 **Well, what did you think? Sorry for any mistakes.**


	2. The Deal

**Thanks so much for the favs/follows and reviews! I'm really glad you like it. I am going to admit, the chapters for this fic will come out slower than my other stories because I'm still working on developing the plot. I have a basic idea of what I want though! But I just wanted you guys to know!**

 **Alice Gone Madd- It is _VERY_ impossible, close to nonexistent!**

 **Starlit Storyteller- Thanks!**

 **Vodid- Yeah, you're right. My bad! I just change it to a different one. Mirage will end up getting an Italia later.**

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 **Mostly a reader fanfic girl99- Thanks!**

Chapter 2: The Deal

I was _eighty_ percent sure this wasn't a dream anymore, since I could feel myself pinching my thigh, and also the smell of smoke drifting through the air. I opened my mouth to say something, but the words seemed to escape me. Instead, I just stared up at the robot with wide eyes. It was so _tall_ , standing there as it sheathed its dark blades, and placed his hands on his hips. Suddenly, the words found me.

"W-What are you?" I stuttered, flinching as the giant robot shifted in his stance. A part of me was scared out of my mind, and was screaming at me to run as far away as possible. But another part of me was curious and genuinely wanted to know.

"I am an autonomous robotic organism from a planet named Cybertron," He answered in a smooth Italian voice, "I am a part of a race that is known as Cybertronians."

"Okay..." I muttered nervously.

"I am also a part of a faction of Cybertronians called the Autobots. We fight off Cybertronians like this one." He said, giving a pointed glance to the sparking robot laying silently at the top of the driveway.

"S-So...he's a bad guy?" I asked.

"Yes, they are the Decepticons, and they are a very different faction. They are cruel and ruthless, with a malevolent leader who has killed thousands of souls, and always leaves a path of destruction in his wake."

I felt a shiver run down my spine at Mirage's vivd description. I didn't find it hard to believe, since the feral robot who landed in my backyard showed nothing but hostility. But I couldn't help but pale at the thought that came to mind. If the Decepticons were landing here on earth, that meant that their leader was either on earth or making his way here quickly. A swirl of nausea suddenly passed through me, and I felt myself sway on my feet.

I couldn't even fathom the thought of a whole army of robots like the one from the meteor. I was still finding it hard to believe that my old, slightly scratched Ferrari was a walking, mechanical _alien_! I had only had the car for a week, and I had grown slightly attached to it. To find out that my little Ferrari was really just a disguise for a big-ass robot was like a slap to the face.

"Are you well, _signorina_?" Mirage asked, his head tilted slightly. He was frowning, and I think the emotion written on his face was something comparable to confusion.

I nodded, even though I felt my feet starting to back away from him. "I'm fine."

 _I'm totally not fine._

I yelped as I nearly tripped over the mailbox. I forgot that was there.

"Are you sure?" He questioned, his frown deepening, "Your heart rate is escalating and your body is showing signs of shu-"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as my hearing was distorted and my legs gave out. The last thing I heard was a shout of surprise before everything faded into darkness.

* * *

My eyes fluttered open, and I groaned softly as my fingers went to massage my head. It felt heavy and kind of ached, as if someone threw something at me from a point-blank range. There was silence around me, and I wondered again if it was all some bizarre dream. That maybe I really was still laying on the couch. But my small hopes were cracked as I tried to get up, and realized that I was being held in place by a seatbelt. And then they were completely shattered when I realized I was in the Ferrari, and it was parked just outside of a small gas station that was ran by a friendly couple I knew.

 _"I see that you are awake."_ A voice with an Italian accent had said, coming from somewhere in the dashboard.

"What?" I jolted in surprise, looking around the car while trying to wriggle out of the seatbelt, "Why won't this seatbelt come off? And why did you take me here?"

 _"Calm down."_ The accented voice said, which was tinged with slight annoyance, _"I did not bring you here to hurt you."_

"Then why else am I here?" I asked, wariness mixed with fear.

 _"I require your assistance for something."_ He said slowly, almost reluctantly.

"What would that be?" I asked just as slowly.

 _"I need a way to help me locate a set of coordinates I was given, it was from my leader; Optimus Prime."_

I raised an eyebrow, "So, you need like a map or something?"

He gave a small grunt.

I bit my lip for a moment, before nodding, and the seatbelt disappeared. The driver's door also swung out, and I carefully climbed out of the car. I checked my phone; _9:45._ It was late, and I knew soon they would be closing up, so I pulled up the zipper on my sweater and hurried into the gas station. The door jingled as I entered, and a woman with graying brown hair and green eyes looked up from the counter.

She smiled, "Oh Elizabeth, hello!"

I smiled in return, walking up to her, "Hi Mrs. Turner."

"I'm surprised to see you here so late. How have you and Zachary been?"

I just shrugged, "Fine. How are you and Mr. Turner?"

"Oh, we're great dear," She answered, and before leaning over slightly and projecting her voice, "Harold! Come over here!"

"What is it, woman?!" A voice shouted back.

"It's Miriam's daughter, Elizabeth!" Mrs. Turner replied.

I flinched at the use of my mother's name, and tried to keep my smile from grimacing. Mr. Turner, a tall man with a slightly balding head popped up between an aisle, and when he spotted me, he smiled as well.

I waved at him, "Hello, Mr. Turner."

"Oh you don't have to be so formal honey, we've known you since you were in diapers." He said with a soft chuckle, walking up to us, and I gave him a quick hug. He placed his hands on his hips that reminded me of Mirage, "How's Zach been?"

"Good," I said, "He's got a job now. He works at the auto-shop downtown."

A small, sort of sad smile appeared on his face, "That's good to hear."

I knew why his smile turned sad, and I didn't really want to dwell on it. Instead, I bent down and picked up the first map of the US that I spotted, and placed it on the counter.

Mrs. Turner raised an eyebrow, "A map? Are you planning a trip to somewhere?"

"Actually yeah," I said, nervously tucking a few strands behind my ear, "I got accepted into that school I always wanted to go to. So in a few days, I'm moving to New York." It wasn't a lie, because that's what I _was_ planning to do.

Mrs. Turner's face lit up in shock, "Oh, that's such great news! I'm so glad you're going to follow your dreams, and become a designer. Everyone around here knows you've got talent."

My smile turned sheepish, "Um...thanks, Mrs. Turner."

"Is your brother going with you?" She asked.

I shook my head, "No, he's not really a city-guy. He's going to stay here."

The Turner's both nodded.

"Well, you should have told us this sooner so we could celebrate with a party! We're going to miss you." Mrs. Turner said, her voice turning wistful.

I smiled weakly, "I don't really like parties, but I appreciate the thought. And don't worry, I'm going to be back during the summer."

"You better." Mrs. Turner joked as she finally rung up the map, and handed it to me, "Here you go, sweetheart."

I nodded, "Thank you Mrs. Turner. It was really nice seeing both of you again."

"Oh, you too dear. Have a good night, tell Zachary I said hello as well!" She said, as I turned to leaved the store.

"Also, be careful dear! I heard there's some unusual showers going on out here tonight."

I smiled wryly. _You have no idea._

* * *

I slid back into the driver's seat again, and the radio buzzed to life as I shut the door.

 _"Did you acquire the device?"_ Mirage asked eagerly.

I nodded, unfolding the map until it practically covered half the dashboard. "Yeah, what's the coordinates?"

 _"38.9072 North, and 77.0369 West."_ He answered.

My fingers followed over the coordinates, until they stopped on a black dot. I read the city's name beside it, "Washington DC?"

 _"It appears so."_

"Oh, that's actually not very far from where I'm heading." I said with a slight shrug.

 _"I think...maybe we can come to an agreement, perhaps?"_ He asked in his thick Italian accent.

I raised an eyebrow, "And what is that?"

 _"I overheard your conversation with the older humans in the store. You said you are traveling to New York, yes?"_

I nodded.

 _"And if your location is as close as you say so, then I believe I can help you get there."_

I hummed thoughtfully. I guess I didn't think about that, now that I knew my car was actually an alien robot, I wouldn't have a ride to get me to New York. I didn't want to bother my brother about it, since he was working so hard on establishing a stable income here. And I guess it made sense, since both New York and DC were up north.

"What's the catch?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest.

 _"I will need your help to navigate me, and help me remain discreet. I am sure your kind would not react well to a vehicle without a driver, yes?"_

I could imagine the mental image that came to mind. And oddly enough, it made me chuckle, "You're not wrong there."

 _"So...is it a deal, signorina?"_ He asked after a moment.

I went over it in my head. All I had to do was stick with him until we got up north, then I could put this craziness behind me and do what I loved doing the most. It was simple, and plus, I didn't even have to actually _drive_.

I nodded, "Deal."

 _Besides, I've already escaped a crazy robot once...what was the worst that could happen?_

 **A lot can happen, Liz. Anyway, thanks for reading chapter 2! I really hope you guys like it. By the way, _signorina_ means "young lady". **


	3. Fevers

**Woo chapter 3!**

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Chapter 3: Fevers

It took some time, but I had finally convinced Mirage to bring me back to my house. Only halfway up the long rode to our house did I see the flashing of sirens, and the noise. About three firefighters were pulled up in our yard, spraying down the kitchen while two police cars lined the street. I noticed Zach's car on the side and cursed profusely under my breath.

I didn't realize how bad the damage was, since half the time I was running around and screaming. I also could only imagine the thoughts going through Zach's mind. The house was on fire and I was nowhere to be seen.

 _"What is going on?"_ Mirage's accented voice wondered through the dashboard.

"The aftermath." I muttered grimly.

Cautiously, Mirage had pulled up to the curb, and Zach's face visibly brightened when he saw the cherry red vehicle. Whatever conversation he was having with one of the officers was forgotten as he practically sprinted over to the driver's side. The seatbelt slid off of me, and I immediately climbed out to embrace my brother.

"Liz!" He shouted, half in surprise and in relief before engulfing me in a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around my waist, and just the scent of him had my pounding heart calmer. "I was so worried when I couldn't find you! What the hell happened?"

"Uh..." I chuckled nervously, "It's kind of a long story."

"Liz." He said in a warning tone.

I sighed, bitting the inside of my cheek as I tried to come up with a story. Would Zach believe me if I told him two giant, alien robots had an epic battle in our backyard? Probably not. I wouldn't even believe myself and I was _there_. I timidly glanced up at him again, and he had his hands crossed, waiting for my answer. I glanced at Mirage, who was silently sitting five feet away.

 _Should I tell him? Would he believe me?_

 _Would anyone believe me?_

"Okay, so here's what happened," I eventually blurted out, running a hand through my hair, "I was driving here back from the grocery store, and when I got here, the house was on fire. I freaked out and drove away to go find you. I looked around the city for like, thirty minutes until I gave up. I decided to come back around and- _hey!_ What do ya know? You're _here_!"

I wanted to facepalm myself immediately after the rambled words left my mouth. _Uggh, how could I be so stupid?_ I glanced at my brother, trying to interpret his reaction, but his expression was unreadable. It was hard to tell if he believed my story or not.

"It was really stupid of you to leave the house burning without calling 911." He finally said.

I sighed, loudly and dramatically, "I was freaking out! It was a moment of weakness!"

"Just be glad that your neighbors alerted us to the smell of smoke, or else your home probably wouldn't be standing." A firefighter said, walking up to us. He was dressed in that fluorescent yellow suit, and took off his hat to wipe sweat off of his forehead.

I felt my heart sink a little at his words, because it had just hit me how much of an _idiot_ I was. If the house burned to the ground, we would've lost the only connection we still had to our childhood memories...and our parents. And it would've been all my fault.

I sighed, feeling a headache building up between my eyes. It throbbed painfully, and only grew stronger until it felt like heavier weight was pressing down on my skull. My vision swung, The tall, dark figure of the glowing lantern dividing into two messy blurs, before refocusing back into one.

I blinked for a moment, nearly tripping as I felt myself lose balance, but caught myself at the last second. "Woah."

Zach was having a conversation with the fireman, and both didn't seem to notice me almost fall on my face. I took a deep breath, but the intense heaviness only grew more rapidly. The soft orange of the gloomy lantern divided again, and it felt like someone had kicked my legs out from under me. This time, I couldn't catch myself, and fell to the ground. My butt hit the street with a hard _thud,_ and an _"oof"_ slipped past my lips as the street and I collided.

This time, Zach noticed.

"Liz, are you okay?!" He asked, coming over to my aid, and in seconds hauling me back up to my feet.

"Yeah," I mumbled, nodding my head, "I think it was a rush of blood."

"Something's not right," Zach said sternly, pressing the back of his hand against my forehead, "Liz, you're burning up!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the red Ferrari had moved. It was less than two feet now, and was slightly raised on it's axils, the front of the car tipped forward as if he was trying to peak through the crowd of firemen around me. And for some reason, that made me smile.

"Get her in the car!" One of the police officers shouted.

"We need to get her to the hospital!" Another one said.

The rest of the time was blurred between bright lights, loud sirens, and the sound of gravel crunching against the pavement as the cop car zoomed down the street. Everyone was so distracted by my rising fever, that they didn't notice the little red Ferrari start it's engine, and follow behind quietly.

* * *

 _~ Mirage's POV ~_

The femme just _had_ to go back to her housing units.

As if the fight with that Decepticon hasn't caused enough unwanted attention already! It was already bad enough that I had landed nine-hundred-and-seventy-two miles - _according to the human's digital maps_ \- away from the beacon, but the femme I had designated to be my guide through this strange world had fallen ill. it was as if Primus was finding my misfortune entertaining.

I sighed, a breeze of warm exhaust coming out from the grill as I discreetly followed the humans in the distracting vehicles. I had to follow behind at a large distance, which was a disadvantage, but I did not want them to appear suspicious. Half the way there, I wanted to give up and just find another human to guide me. I was sure she would keep my secret since she did not tell a member of her immediate family. But _I_ was the one who proposed the deal, and for me to go against my promise, even if it was to a fretful, vociferous fleshy...is dishonorable.

The Towers may have fallen, but I was a noblemech at spark.

That was the main argument my processors were going with as the humans finally pulled into what they called a 'Hospital'. They had rode through an emergency drop off, which was off limits. Cursing lowly, I drove over into the nearest parking lot, and skillfully parked. I grimaced at the feeling of being compacted against so many non-sentient vehicles.

 _Humans and their small parking spaces._

Mentally, I shook my head disdainfully, and activated my holoform. For once, I was grateful that one of Wheeljack's inventions worked. I wasn't too picky about the holoform's appearance, but since I tended to favor the Italian culture the most, I decided to go with an Italian one. Once my holoform was formed, I exited my alte mode and strode into the hospital, brushing past the many humans gathered there and to the front where three human females sat. The one in the middle had been the first to notice my arrival, and gave a kind smile.

"Hello sir, how may I help you?"

"I would like to see... a girl." I said slowly. The English language was still a complicated one to get used to.

The femme raised what the humans called an 'eyebrow' in confusion, "I'm sorry, you're going to have to be more specific."

I huffed at her, "It is a girl! She has brown hair, yes?"

The femme's expression didn't change, "Do you have a name sir?"

I frowned, and wracked my processor for the femme's name, only to realize, I had never asked for her name. _Slag it all._

"Sir?" The femme asked nervously.

I sighed, "Allow me." I walked around the large desk, startling the other two as I gently nudged to woman over. I smoothly hacked into the systems to see where the girl had been admitted, looking through the files before I had finally gotten the one I wanted. "Aha!"

 _Elizabeth Annemarie Hall. Age 19. Room 315._

I went off on my way.

* * *

 _~ Liz's POV ~_

My eyes fluttered open, and I groaned softly. The sterile smell of the room had hit me first, before my eyes opened curiously to see where I was.

 _Big_ mistake.

I hissed as the brightness burned my eyes, and I heard a gasp from somewhere near me. It took twenty blinks before my pupils finally dilated and adjusted to the room. The gasp came from my brother, who was sitting in a chair pulled up to my bed.

His face lit up with happiness at the sight of me, "Oh good, you're awake!"

He leaned over to wrap his arms around me, in a bone-crushing hug. I moaned a little, but didn't complain because his warm, familiar smell comforted me. When he finally pulled away, he smiled down at me, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"What...happened to me?" I asked, looking around the room, "Why am I in a hospital?"

"You had a fever, Liz." He explained, "And it almost went over 103. The doctors managed to bring you back down though."

"Oh." I muttered, rubbing my sore skull, "How long am I in for?"

"Just for the rest of the night. They want to make sure you're okay and nothing else happens before they let you go." Zach explained, taking my left hand which was closest to him.

I frowned, "I'm sorry for giving you such a scare." _Honestly, I'm the worst sister ever. First, let the house burn down and then almost die from a fever._

 _Bravo, Liz._

"Doesn't matter, I'm just glad that you're okay." Zach said, shaking his head. After all, we're all each other's have left.

I gave his hand a tight, comforting squeeze. We both smiled at each other, before I felt my stomach growl. I guess I was still hungry.

"What was that? A mountain lion?" Zach teased.

"Shut up." I groaned, smacking him in the shoulder. I sat up taller in my bed, "Could you get me something from the vending machines?"

Zach looked hesitant, "I don't know Liz, is it a good thing to eat after a life-threatening fever?"

My stomach growled again. "There's your answer."

He rolled his eyes in amusement, before promising he'd be back as he got up from his chair. I settled back down in my bed as the door shut behind him, closing my eyes. I tried to relax, listening to the tedious beat of the heart rate monitor that I was hooked up to, but nothing was working.

The door had opened, and I spoke without even opening my eyes, "Back already? I mean I know you love me and all, but I was giving you a chance to calm down and take a-"

 _"Signorina?"_

I froze in the middle of my sentence. I knew that voice, and the accent was _very_ familiar. But it couldn't be, because there was no way a giant-ass alien like him could fit through this hospital room without taking half of the hospital down in his wake.

I cracked open one eye, then both of them grew wide, as I stared at the tall, handsome man who was standing in the middle of my room. He was evenly tanned, with dark blue eyes, a rich, chocolate, brown curly hair, and thick eyebrows. He was wearing a dark red button down shirt, with only two of the buttons un-buttoned at the top, and dark jeans. He had on matching dark loafers, and soft stubble that dotted around his chin and just above his lips.

If it could, I think my jaw would have dropped to the ground. "Mirage?!"

He had crossed his strong arms over his chest, and with the faintest of smirks replied, "A deal is a deal, yes?"

 **Welp, that's all for now folks! Haha, I just really enjoy writing Mirage with his snooty little attitude! I find it adorable :) Anyway, thank you so much for reading and make sure to leave a review because that always keeps my muse in shape!**


	4. Challenged

**Back again with another chapter!**

 **Guest- Thank you, and I definitely will! I was a bit confused but I assumed you meant that in popularity, Mirage/Dino stories are just as low as Drift stories. And if that's what you meant, than I wholeheartedly agree!**

 **skittlesdeb- Thank you, and I will!**

 **SapphireSpark- Definitely ;)**

 **jgoss- Oh yes, Mirage is a Towers mech at spark! And yes, it was a stress-induced fever, or "Induced Hypothermia".**

 **Autobot-Bre-Lightblast- Thank you!**

 **Starlit Storyteller- Same. And yes, Liz will definitely have some difficulty explaining her plan to her brother. Thank you, I really appreciate your review!**

 **Stryker Mikazuki J- Thank you, I'm very flattered :)**

Chapter 4: Challenged

My eyes widened, "What...what _how_ are you even here?!"

Mirage raised a quizzical eyebrow, "I am here because I am in a holoform."

I blinked, "What is that?"

"A device invented by a medic from my planet, it allows us to blend in with organic species, like humans for examples." He explained, while flicking off an imaginary speck of dust off of his velvet shirt.

"Wait," My eyebrows slowly scrunched together, "So...are you telling me that...there are _more_ aliens?"

He rolled his eyes, "We're getting off point. You need to get dressed."

I opened my mouth to question why, but then glanced down at myself. For some reason, I didn't realize I wasn't wearing my regular clothes until now. Instead, i was dressed in a flimsy blue medical gown, with nothing but my underwear underneath. My cheeks burned with heat as a small draft tumbled through the half-closed window, and I pulled the blanket closer towards my chest. It might've actually been effective, if the damn thing wasn't as thin as the gown!

"What are you doing?" He asked, pinning me with a condescending stare.

"I...I'm practically naked!" I screeched, desperately trying and _failing_ to shield myself from his bright blue gaze.

Mirage sighed, "Human, we don't have time for this. You need to get dress!"

"Why?" I protested.

"Because we need to leave!"

"I just had a fever!"

"That is _not_ my problem!"

"No, but would it kill you to have a little more compassion?"

"You are going to either get out of the bed and dress yourself, or so help me Primus I will drag you out of there myself!" He yelled, his Italian accent becoming so thick it was hard to distinguish his words.

"Okay!" I snapped. I definitely did _not_ want _that_ to happen, "Where's my clothes?"

"On the chair next to you." He said.

"Geez," I muttered, wrapping the blanket around me until I was a blue tortilla, before awkwardly scooting towards the edge of the bed, "So bossy." I frowned out at the pile of familiar clothes laying on the chair beside the wall.

I turned at the sound of a scoff, and glared at the handsome holoform, who was smirking, "Do you need assistance?"

I huffed indignantly, before turning back around, and hopping over towards my pile of clothes. "Do not look!" I instructed his holoform, before nervously fumbling with the zipper. I don't know why, but my hands were extremely shaky, and I let out a low curse when I dropped my pants. Mirage let out a loud sigh, before appearing in front of me. Startled, I gasped, taking a step back and nearly tripping over the blanket. He had shook his head, muttering something lowly in Italian, before bending down to pick up my pants.

 _Geez...why is he so antsy all of a sudden?_ I wondered to myself, as he rose and walked up to me. I was all too aware of his towering height, and swallowed nervously as his intense blue eyes met mine. There was a soft _zip,_ before the pants were thrusted in my direction.

"Here you go, _Signorina."_

I cursed myself for blushing again. Honestly, this guy was a robotic being from another planet, I don't even think I was aware of how intimate this seemed. I don't think he even cared. _Why am I thinking about this? Just take the pants, Liz._

With a nervous smile, I reached for the pants. And that was the exact moment when the door had decided to fly open. I jumped again, startled by the sound as both of our heads turned to look in the direction of the door. Standing there was Zach; the easy smile on his face melting into alarm, and the two bags of Doritos in his hand fell to the ground. There was a moment of silence, so tense and thick that I was sure you could cut it with a knife.

And then, Zach ran.

He threw himself onto Mirage, giving him no time to react as he tackled his holoform to the ground, throwing angry punches and kicks wherever he could. I had never seen Zach this angry before, and it scared me.

"Zach!" I yelled, trying to pull him off, "Leave him alone! Get off of him- _Zach_!"

With a grunt, I had managed to gather up enough strength to throw him off, and hold him down by pinning his arms to the ground.

"What the hell is he doing in here?! What is going on?!" Zach yelled, speaking to me but still glaring daggers at Mirage, who was returning the favor.

"I...I can explain," I mumbled nervously, "Just stop thrashing and listen! He's not...it's not what you thought it was!"

"He had your _pants_ , Liz!" He growled.

"That doesn't mean anything," I protested weakly, "And besides, just because a person had another person's pants doesn't mean that they've done anything. For goodness sakes Zach, I just woke up from a fever! And why would I be doing the dirty deed in a hospital?"

Finally, Zach calmed down. I glared at him for another minute, before letting him go, and crawling off of him. Zach shot up to his feet immediately, still glaring at Mirage. "There better be a damn good explanation."

"Zach," I said, "He's my friend."

"How come I've never met him before?" Zach said, eyeing Mirage up and down. Mirage glowered.

"Because...um, he doesn't live around here. He's from out of town." I lied quickly.

"Where?" Zach demanded.

I scratched my head, "Um...Chicago?"

Zach glanced at me for a second, before locking his gaze back on the holoform, "And what's he doing down here?"

"He's helping me move." I said.

"Why?"

"Because...I asked him to." I tried to keep my voice firm, as I grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to break away from his death-glare with Mirage. "He lives up north, and I'm heading there anyway. I thought it would be a good idea."

Zach's brown eyes softened, "Liz, why didn't you tell me any of this?"

I sighed, running my fingers through my hair, "I dunno, a lot was going on when I found out I was accepted. It must've slipped my mind, I'm so sorry Zach."

"Okay," He said after a few minutes of silence, "But that still doesn't explain why he's here, and _still_ holding your pants."

 _Oh, for the love of-_ I snatched the pants out of Mirage's hands, "There. Happy now?"

He crossed his arms, looking at me expectantly.

"We're supposed to be leaving tonight," I muttered, "So I asked him to come meet me here."

"Woah, woah. Tonight? Liz, I thought you weren't leaving until Friday." Zach said, his features shifted to worry.

I rubbed my arm, "Um...there was a change of plans?"

"Liz." He said again, in that warning tone that I hated so much.

I sighed, "I'm sorry Zach, I really am. I've just been caught up with so much stuff, and I know you've been busy at the auto-shop, but I still have no excuse! First, I almost burn down the house, then I get a life-threatening fever and- _ugh_!" I threw my hands up in frustration, before grabbing the sides of my head, "Everything is so wrong! Nothing is going like I planned, I'm such a _screw-up_!"

I felt Zach's arms wrap around me, and my face was flush up against his warm chest. The bleak hospital room started to blur in the corners, and I blinked before wiping my eyes, and began to sniffle. Zach just held me close, while I had my short breakdown. Everything was just changing so fast, it was hard for me to keep up with.

"You're not a screw-up Liz," Zach whispered softly, rubbing the small of my back, "How could you be, when you've been accepted to go to New York? You're the most brilliant, funny, caring, and creative person I know."

I chuckled dryly, "You're just saying those things 'cuz I'm your sister."

"No," He said firmly, holding me tighter, "I meant every one of those things. You were born to be a designer Liz, and I want you to go follow your dreams." He pulled away so that he could look at me, "I also want you to be careful. You're the only family I've got."

I nodded, wiping away the last tear, "Thank you Zach...for everything."

He nodded, and bent down to kiss my forehead, "I love you."

I bit my lip, "Back at you."

We both laughed at that. It was a dumb little thing that I've been saying since we were nine. Once I had gotten myself back together, I had finally remembered that Mirage was still in the room. I broke away from Zach, but he was the first one to speak.

"So, you're her friend, huh?" He asked, peering at him intently.

"I am." Mirage said haughtily.

"And you're the one who's gonna help her get to New York?"

"I will." He replied, crossing his arms.

There was another long moment of silence, as the two just stared at each other. Mirage was easily taller than Zach, but I couldn't help but be proud of his defiant glare, even though I knew my brother had no chance. I imagined what his face would look like if he found out he was really challenging the nice little Ferrari he picked out for me last week.

"Well, now that you guys are acquainted," I spoke up, "Can you two have a civil conversation?"

"If anything happens to her, I'm gonna kill you." Was Zach's next statement.

To my surprise, Mirage nodded, "I vow to protect your sister, while she is traveling with me."

Zach looked at Mirage with curiosity, before glancing at me again, "Are you sure he's from Chicago? Why does he talk like that?"

"It's an accent, Zach." I deadpanned. "And that doesn't matter."

Zach let out a long sigh, before crossing his arms again, "Fine. I'll go grab your suitcases."

"I can come with you-"

"No, stay here. You still need more rest. Your buddy on the other hand, can come with me," Zach said, grabbing the keys from off of the chair, "And please put some pants on before we get back."

I looked at Mirage, who had given no expression to Zach's statement.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, "He's overprotective."

Mirage heaved a sigh, and rolled up his sleeve, exposing a nice golden watch, "Just be ready when we come back. We are falling off of schedule."

I nodded, and watched as he smoothly followed behind Zach. I thought about how amazing that holoform was, and then wondered how long he could keep it up for. His race was definitely an advanced one, their technology seemed to be farther than humans could ever dream. I suddenly felt a strange urge to see him in his robot form, before I shook the thought off.

I really needed to put on some pants.

 **Just a bit of a filler before the epic Mirage/Liz adventure kicks off. And a bit more of an intro to Zach? Eh, *shrugs* I'm not really sure. But thanks for reading, and please make sure to review! I always love to read your thoughts!**

 **P.S: Happy Thanksgiving, to all that celebrate it!**


	5. The Upgrade

**Heyo! Back with another chapter! It's been a while since I've written on for this story, and it's already 2017 so why not! Oh yeah, and I noticed some of you picked up on his sudden switch in behavior. There's a reason for that, it won't be explained in this chapter but will come up soon ;)**

 **JessieBWriting- Why thank you! And that is totally true. I love Mirage's character and his awesome powers!**

 **jgoss- Oh yeah lol. There is a reason for that!**

 **mostly a reader fangirl99- Thanks!**

 **MysticFire101- Lol, thank you so much! I'm glad you like it :)**

 **Starlit Storyteller- Oh yeah, Zach is fiercely protective when it comes to Liz. And yes, Raj has a lot to learn when it comes to human customs. Thanks for the advice, I'll keep that in mind.**

 **Onto the next chapter!**

Chapter 5: The Upgrade

By the time the two had came back, I had finished buttoning up the buttons on my jacket and glanced at the door. My eyes widened when only Zach appeared, before my brows creased in confusion.

"Where did he go?" I asked.

"I said he could wait downstairs." Zach replied with a dismissive shrug.

I sighed, "Zach, I thought we've just been over this already. You can trust him. He's my friend."

"I know," Zach replied, "But that doesn't mean he has to be in _here_. He'll be fine."

I rolled my eyes exasperatedly, giving up on trying to ease Zach's overt protectiveness. Instead, I grabbed the bag that was sitting on the chair towards the window, going through it real quickly to make sure everything I had in there was still there. Once I was done, I hung it around my shoulder and turned to Zach with raised eyebrows.

"What?" Zach asked.

"You going to let me go?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. "Or are you going to interrogate me too?"

Zach frowned for a moment, before breaking out into a grin, "I had to make sure he had your best interest at heart."

"Geez Zach, it's not like he's going to marry me. He's just driving me up north." I muttered sarcastically.

"C'mon Liz, look at it from my point of view. You just recovered from being sick, I go get you food, and when I come back, I find a grown man in your room, holding your pants, and claiming to take you up to New York. How could I _not_ be suspicious and protective?"

I bit my lip, withholding a sigh, because he was right. The whole thing probably seemed bizarre to Zach. _Heck, it was bizarre to me too._ I felt a swarm of guilt rise in my chest, and tried to think of a way to apologize, when he suddenly wrapped his arms around me again. My worries melted right away, as I smiled and hugged him back, burying my face in the crook between his neck and shoulder.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Liz." He mumbled softly, revealing some of his true feelings. I was glad, the tough-guy act was starting to get old.

"I'll miss you more." I whispered, hugging him tighter.

"Doubt it." He whispered back, and I found myself chuckling softly.

The more I stayed wrapped up in his arms, the more I was tempted to stay. I knew it was going to be hard, all on my own up north, and I also knew it was going to be hard for Zach, staying down here by himself. Ever since our parents passed away, we've been all we've got for each other. We took care of each other, and we were both anchors for each other, keeping us grounded so that neither of us would spin outwards to insanity.

It was going to be hard, leaving the town that I've known all my life. Leaving the people who watched me grow up, and leaving the place where the memories of my parents was the strongest. But at the same time, I knew I had to do this for myself. As safe and comfortable as it was in Missouri, I knew I would never forgive myself if I didn't try to make something of my life.

So that's what gave me the strength to finally pull away, and give him a quick peck on the cheek. "I won't be gone forever Zach, I'll be back for the summer."

"You better." He teased, smiling and I smiled back. "Besides, we've definitely got to fix up the paint on the house now."

"Don't remind me." I groaned playfully, and Zach grinned as he finally stepped to the side to allow me to pass. I glanced up at the clock on the wall, and panicked, realizing that Mirage had probably been waiting for at least twenty-five minutes. _He's going to be pissed...but that's okay_. I had just managed to push open the door when Zach suddenly stopped me;

"Wait!"

"Huh?" I said, swiveling around.

"You dropped this." He said, handing me the clumsily folded map. My eyes widened in realization, and I took it gratefully, tucking it into my purse.

"Thanks, Zach."

"Why DC?" He suddenly asked, his expression turning suspicious again.

I gave a one-shoulder shrug, "It's on the way."

* * *

 _~ Mirage's POV ~_

I checked the golden contraption human's used to keep track of time on my holoform's wrist, and sighed again. We were falling rapidly behind the time I had estimated we would arrive, which was not good. I could feel the engine of my alt mode hummed impatiently outside in the parking lot, and I glanced at the watch again before letting out a strained huff.

This femme was going to be the _death_ of me.

"Mirage!"

I snapped up at the sound of my designation, and the familiar femme's voice. I could feel some of the stress sinking out of my shoulders as they slumped briefly with relief. _Finally._

"I'm so sorry I kept you waiting so long," She said, breathing heavily. I scanned her quickly, and noticed that her respiratory system was accelerated, but not enough to be dangerous. She huffed again as she wiped the small hairs humans call "bangs" out of her face, "Zach was a bit reluctant to let me go."

I tore my gaze away from her forehead to glance down at her, and nodded distractedly, "Yes, yes that is all good. Are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah, just let me check myself ou-"

"That task is already completed." I interrupted.

She paused, "Wait what?"

"I have already checked you out, _signorina_." I explained quickly, grabbing her arm gently. I momentarily paused, slightly surprised by how soft her skin was. How in Primus name could humans protect themselves with such soft, delicate outer layer? I brushed the thought away, "We must go."

The femme seemed to be too busy staring at where our appendages were connected to hear my words, and I sighed again before gently nudging her in the direction of the door. Once she had caught on and stopped stumbling, she had let go, and my holoform rolled its eyes. I felt my true body's engine flood to life as I slowly backed out of ridiculously narrow parking space and drove quickly to the front of the hospital. Liz's eyes widened as my engine revved deeply.

"Holy smokes." She muttered, "You just...how did you...?"

"Multitasking." I said, with a hint of amusement as I smirked at her bewildered expression. This femme had a lot to learn, that was only a fraction of my true power.

After I had finally managed to usher her into my alte mode, she began to unfold the large map, placing it on the dashboard. I had dissipated my holoform, slightly startling her as I gunned my engine, ready to take off. I didn't want to be in that holoform any longer than I had to, and I waited for her to climb over the console, doing my best not to shudder.

She had to touch... _everything._

"Sorry," She mumbled, "I'm just not used to this...this is so weird. Being in a car that drives itself."

 _"I am not an actual car."_ I reminded her, my voice projected from the dashboard.

She nodded, "Right. An...Otterbot?"

I grimaced. _"Autobot."_

"Sorry." She said softly with a small chuckle, "So...um, are we ready to go?"

 _"Not quite yet signorina,"_ I answered, my processors scanning through the internet, _"We need to make one quick stop."_

* * *

 _~ Liz's POV ~_

One quick stop? I wondered what Mirage was talking about, as we pulled on to the highway, but fifteen minutes later, I had my answer. I recognized this part of the county, it was much more expensive here, my dad used to work here. I was startled when he suddenly pulled up to a fancy car dealership, and my eyes widened when I recognized the symbol of a powerful horse, standing on it's back legs on the sign.

 _Ferraris._

I was confused, but excited at the same time. Who wouldn't be excited, I mean come on, they're _Ferraris_. All lined up perfectly in eccentric different colors, their shiny coat of paint had glistened brightly in the moon's reflection.

"What are we doing here?" I asked excitedly, gawking at the beautiful cars.

 _"We are receiving an upgrade."_ Mirage said, in that thick Italian accent of his.

I frowned, stopping momentarily in my gawking to look at the dashboard, "How? I don't have that kind of money."

 _"You will see."_ He replied, in a teasing tone. I raised an eyebrow at that, and reeled back when the car door suddenly swung open.

"Uh..."

 _"I need you to exit me for a moment."_

"Okay." I mumbled, climbing out of the car, still confused.

The tiny little Ferrari GTB rolled past the rows of Ferraris, impressively silent, since it was he was in his car form and it was probably sometime pass midnight. He had gotten as close to the cars as possible, since there was a long, gate separating them. And I watched as he would slow down, checking out one Ferrari that caught his attention, before speeding up to look at the others. Finally, he had stopped next to a cherry red Ferrari 458 Italia.

And you wouldn't believe what happened next. I wouldn't have too, if I hadn't been standing there, watching with wide eyes as my little GTB stretched into a longer, more sleeker and shinier Ferrari Italia, with a paint job so bold that I could see it clearly in the dim night. I gasped as the engine revved even deeper, and nearly passed out when the bright neon lights flashed.

 _Mirage...He just..._

He had turned around, making his way back to me, and all I could do was stand there, stunned. I blinked, and then blinked again, and blinked a couple of more times just to make sure that I wasn't hallucinating. And then I pinched my arm, and hissed when I felt the sharp stab of pain.

 _"Why are you pinching yourself, signorina?"_ Mirage wondered, his voice seemed even deeper, and nicer.

"I...I..." I shook my head, my jaw dropping, "You just turned into an _Italia_!"

 _"Why yes. I did say I needed an upgrade."_ He replied.

"B-But an Italia!" I cried out, throwing my hands up in surprise, "Holy crap! This is the coolest thing I've ever seen in my life!"

 _"I'm glad."_ Mirage muttered, and I felt the urge to faint again as I watched the doors lift them self open. How was I even going to explain this to Zach? How was I going to explain this to anybody? Nobody would believe a rural girl like me could own a _freaking_ Italia!

 _"Are you going to get in?"_ He asked.

I had to shake the thoughts out of my head to focus again, and nodded before climbing into the door. I gazed at the dark, leather interior and inhaled the new car scent with joy. A low rumbling sound came from the car, and I could've sworn it sounded like a chuckle, but I wasn't sure so I let it go. Instead I enjoyed the amazement of Mirage's upgrade, not even caring that the seatbelt had snaked over my chest and buckled me in.

And we went off into the night.

 **Lucky Liz. Lol, anyway thanks for reading! Hoped you liked it as much as I did! Please review!**


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